INDIAN PREZ ELECTION: PRANAB GETS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT OF MPS

NEW Delhi, India July 22 (NNN-PTI) --UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee got the overwhelming support of Parliamentarians in the President's election securing a vote value of 3,73,116.

Mukherjee's lone rival P A Sangma, supported by some opposition parties including BJP, managed to get a vote value of only 1,45,848 in the counting of votes which is in progress at Parliament House, official sources said.

A total of 748 MPs voted in the election on July 19. Of the total votes, Mukherjee got 527 votes while Sangma got 206.

Fifteen votes including that of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were invalid.-- NNN-PTI

Meanwhile United News of India reports:

COUNTING OF VOTES FOR 14TH INDIAN PRESIDENTIAL POLLS BEGINS; RESULTS BY AFTERNOON

NEW DELHI July 22 (NNN-UNI) -- Counting of votes for the 14th Presidential poll began here this morning amid tight security with the results expected to be announced by afternoon.

In the election, held on July 19, UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee has a clear edge over his opponent and NDA-backed candidate P A Sangma.

Though the announcement of the results will be done only by this evening, Mr Mukherjee is expected to win the Presidential
election with a handsome margin.

The ruling UPA has claimed that Mr Mukherjee will win around 70 per cent of the votes in the direct contest with Mr Sangma, who is backed by the NDA and some opposition parties.

In fact, with parties like the JD(U), SP, BSP and RJD also expressing their support for Mr Mukherjee, it is estimated that the former Finance Minister is expected to bag 735,000 of the 1,097,000 votes.

The counting of ballots began amid tight security in Parliament here in the presence of authorised representatives of both Mr Mukherjee and Mr Sangma.

The ballot boxes of votes cast in Parliament House were taken up first for counting after which those from the states will be opened.

Authorised representatives inspected the seals of the ballot boxes and the counting began after ascertaining that they were not tampered with.

As many as 95 per cent of the 4,896 electors -- 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs -- had exercised their franchise on July 19 at the polling centres set up in Parliament House and 30 other states and union territories with assemblies.

The vote of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had been declared invalid by the Election Commission on the ground that he violated the code of secrecy by revealing his ballot.

Mr Yadav had initially voted for Mr Sangma and then tore the ballot paper when he realised his mistake.

The new President will be administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia on July 25. --NNN-UNI